Researchers seek studies on pregnancy

BALTIMORE, Nov. 9 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say some pregnant women may suffer serious health problems because so little is known about how they react to prescribed medications.

"I can't identify any other group that has been as systematically neglected" in biomedical research, said Ruth Faden, who heads the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics in Baltimore.

Many research programs consider pregnant women off-limits, but there are new fears that leaving health problems untreated could be more dangerous for the mother and fetus than taking unstudied medications, said Faden.

While few drugs are approved for use during pregnancy, millions of pregnant women annually take medication to control blood pressure, depression or cancer without meaningful research having been done on whether the drugs are safe for them and their fetuses, The Baltimore Sun reported Sunday.

"It's really controversial," said Dr. Donald Mattison of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. "There are some groups who believe it's completely inappropriate, and others who are outraged that more hasn't been done."